World Rowing Indoor Championships draws 51 nations

The 2020 World Rowing Indoor Championships has attracted athletes from a record 51 countries in the third year of this event.

To be staged in Paris, France from 7-8 February 2020, the indoor championships will be at the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium in the heart of the city. More than 2300 athletes have registered to compete including defending World Champion and record holder as the fastest woman in the world, Olena Buryak of Ukraine.

The event will be held in conjunction with the French Indoor Rowing Championships and this is reflected in a large number of entries coming from host nation France. Racing will take place over 500m, 1000m and 2000m distances as well as in relay events. The World Championship races will be contested in the 2000m and 500m distance and open relay.

Races will be divided into age groups ranging from under 16-year-olds through to France’s Georges Basse who will be competing in the 90-94-year-old men. There are also para-rowing events with the men’s PR3 including 19 entries for the 2000m distance.

Leading the way in the men’s PR3 is likely to be reigning World Champion Sean Gaffney of Great Britain. Gaffney also hold the World Record in this event for the 40-49-year-old men. In the men’s PR2, on-water World Champion, Corne de Koning of the Netherlands will be a strong contender for the medals. De Koning’s on-water partner, Annika van der Meer is competing in the women’s PR2 and will also be a favourite to medal.

The French national rowing team, a number of them preparing for this year’s Olympic Games, have come out in full strength. In the open men’s Matthieu Androdias will be one to watch, but he will have to contend with his rowing partner Hugo Boucheron as well as Swiss national team member Barnabe Delarze among others.

In the lightweight men’s open event World Champion in the lightweight men’s single sculls and silver medallist at the 2020 European Rowing Indoor Championships, Martino Goretti of Italy is competing. He is likely to have strong competition from Pierre Houin of France. Houin is the Olympic Champion from Rio 2016 in the lightweight men’s double sculls.